Electric Fan Install - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

Russell · 09-25-2004, 02:19 AM

Hey guys, is there any reason why I couldn't install my electric fans between the grill and the radiator instead of between the engine and the radiator? It'd be advantageous for four reasons, becuase it would really clean up the engine bay, and give lots of room between the rad and the engine, it'd have the fans pushing the air rather than pulling the air, it'd eliminate the need for a fan shroud, and it would provide me with the rad support to build a bracket to mount the electric fans to.

What do you guys think?

**swervin ervin** · 09-25-2004, 02:24 AM

They will need to be pusher fans. If they are pullers, they won't work in front. A pusher won't cool as good as pullers will.

screwballl · 09-25-2004, 02:48 AM

yeah what he said lol

Russell · 09-25-2004, 05:48 AM

Alright, I guess I am gonna have to find some way to mount my fans on the back side, and find some way to mount my tranny cooler...

Just to cover all my bases, a guy couldn't flip the fan blades over to make them pushers could he? How much CFM would I loose? I've got a big ol 4 core rad, would that make any difference?

plumbcut · 09-25-2004, 07:20 AM

does canada ever warm up enough to need cooling fans?

just wondering... <snicker>

RockHQ · 09-25-2004, 01:37 PM

Most of the el-cheapo fans out there will allow you to flip the blades. Did i mention they're also very noisy and push lousy CFM? Just get a fan that's designed as a puller and is not meant to be flipped, has curved blades and has a reinforcement ring at the outside diameter of the blades to make the fan more rigid.

Russell · 09-25-2004, 04:16 PM

These are stock GM fans from a Trans Am with a 350 in it, so I'd figure they push fairly good air... I am gonna try installing them as pushers, and see how they do, if its a matter of them coming on for 15 seconds every 30 seconds instead of for 10 seconds every 30 seconds, I don't really care. I was reading online, and it was suggested that you loose approx 20% of your CFM rating if you flip a stock fan over and reverse the motor, I don't feel that is loosing enough cooling to be of major concern, esspecially with a big four core rad. The other thing to consider is that the stock flex fan is like a foot and a half away from the rad, while these fans will be a quarter inch away from the fan, so if it is pushing air at all, all of it will be going right through the rad, instead of sucking air from within the engine compartment, along with sucking air through the rad like the stock fan...

I'll be fine over the winter (I'm sure that some days, the fans won't even come on once the whole time, the frigid air will cool the thing just fine on its own, lol) and find out next summer if I've done things the wrong way or not

**swervin ervin** · 09-25-2004, 04:25 PM

Believe me when I say, a electric cooling fan very seldom comes on if you have it hooked to a thermostat. Even in the summer time here, I can drive all day and never have the fans come on. Only time they do come on is if I get caught in traffic or a light and have to sit still for a while.

As for reversing the fans, I couldn't say how effective they will be. Never tried it.

cliffsta · 09-25-2004, 05:07 PM

yeah its nice having the wrong radiator in ol red. Its like a 350 HD, so red runs nice a cool, even in 95+ degrees.

*1972C10* · 09-25-2004, 08:58 PM

I have dual electric fans on my 72 and have installed electric fans on many different vehicles

Alot of your aftermarket fans are meant to have the polarity reveresed to make them push or pull simple as that. Some of them require you taking off a c clip and flipping the blade

I currently have mine hooked up off IGN power if the engines on so are the fans. But i am going to soon make a thermo controlled setup As soon as time allows

*1972C10* · 09-25-2004, 09:06 PM

Ive got pics of my fans installed but attachments are a no go. and i dont have a ftp program that works anymore.

Russell · 09-26-2004, 12:16 AM

Hmm, here is an interesting situation...

I was under the understanding that these electric fans would have a universial motor in it, but if I try to reverse the polarity on the fan, the wires just get reallllly hot in a real hurry... Both fans do so. Think there is a diode in them that makes it so you can't hook the fan up backwards or something? I'm fairly sure that a non-universial motor will only run on AC...

*1972C10* · 09-26-2004, 01:08 AM

I dont know I have ran stock fans but i always put them in the same configuration as they came off.

Its a good possibility of having a dioide i have seen some with it but its been pretty well visable

Russell · 09-26-2004, 02:05 AM

Well, after trying to fun the fans backwards, suddenly they wouldn't work either way, so I took them apart and found a diode in there, which had melted together on both causing a short in the setup. I also discovered something else -- The one motor wouldn't have lasted for more than a few minutes of operation before it burnt up. The seller who sold these to me must have known about the fan being about to quit, becuase it would have barely worked, there is evidence of arcing where the brushes run, and the coils are all blackened from shorting out for an instant every time the brushes hit that those coil's leads...

So I guess I'm off to ebay to buy another set...

Silveradoshorty · 09-26-2004, 05:04 AM

Russell, sorry to hear about the GM fans. You may be interested in the two speed fan from late 80-early 90's 3.8L Taurus. It has nine curved blades, has an integral shroud and a compact electric motor. It pulls 130 amps on startup and has a constant draw of about 40 amps on high, so you know it moves a ton of air. Read about it here, http://www.fordmuscle.com/archives/2...an/index.shtml
and, http://www.jacksongalleries.com/alex/jeep/taurusfan/
I mocked one up in my big block and there is lots of room. They cost 25 bones in the scrap yards here, let me know if your interested.

Russell · 09-26-2004, 05:34 AM

Well, got the one motor running, discovered that it still pushes just as much air as it pulls, so thats good, but the motor is still in rough shape, it howls as it runs, the other one is so worn that it'll never run, I found out that many of GM's fans share identical fan motors, so I can probally buy new motors from Napa or something...

That two speed fan sounds decent, but that amperage draw is just HUGE, the stock alternator I'll be running definitly won't be able to handle it...

stan79chevy · 09-27-2004, 10:26 PM

like everyone else said if you run them off a thermostat they rarely come on anyway. i have a big 4 core radiator and only turn mine on at traffic lights and trail rides.

stan

09-25-2004, 02:19 AM	#1
Russell Professional Grade Join Date: May 2003 Location: Fort McMurray, Alberta Posts: 7,915	Electric Fan Install Hey guys, is there any reason why I couldn't install my electric fans between the grill and the radiator instead of between the engine and the radiator? It'd be advantageous for four reasons, becuase it would really clean up the engine bay, and give lots of room between the rad and the engine, it'd have the fans pushing the air rather than pulling the air, it'd eliminate the need for a fan shroud, and it would provide me with the rad support to build a bracket to mount the electric fans to. What do you guys think? __________________ 1995 Chevrolet 2 Door Tahoe (6.6L LBZ Duramax / ZF6 / NP241 with 1 ton solid axle swap)

09-25-2004, 02:24 AM	#2
swervin ervin You get what you pay for Join Date: Dec 1999 Location: Cherryville, NC Posts: 4,798	They will need to be pusher fans. If they are pullers, they won't work in front. A pusher won't cool as good as pullers will. __________________ Mike 1985 Chevy C-10

09-25-2004, 02:48 AM	#3
screwballl Tonawanda 454 Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Liquid Sunshine State Posts: 2,755	yeah what he said lol __________________ 91 Chevy Suburban Tonawanda 454 R2500 - SOLD!!! 04 Dodge Durango 5.7L Hemi 2WD, 24K miles (as of July 2011) In the past 30 years about 90% of Fords are still on the road, the other 10% made it home. -------------------

09-25-2004, 05:48 AM	#4
Russell Professional Grade Join Date: May 2003 Location: Fort McMurray, Alberta Posts: 7,915	Alright, I guess I am gonna have to find some way to mount my fans on the back side, and find some way to mount my tranny cooler... Just to cover all my bases, a guy couldn't flip the fan blades over to make them pushers could he? How much CFM would I loose? I've got a big ol 4 core rad, would that make any difference? __________________ 1995 Chevrolet 2 Door Tahoe (6.6L LBZ Duramax / ZF6 / NP241 with 1 ton solid axle swap) Last edited by Russell; 09-25-2004 at 06:20 AM.

09-25-2004, 01:37 PM	#6
RockHQ ROCKET POWER! Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Finland, Europe Posts: 509	Most of the el-cheapo fans out there will allow you to flip the blades. Did i mention they're also very noisy and push lousy CFM? Just get a fan that's designed as a puller and is not meant to be flipped, has curved blades and has a reinforcement ring at the outside diameter of the blades to make the fan more rigid. __________________ What did i do last nite? I had a wonderful time, That's what they tell me What did i do last nite? 1979 C-10 shortfleet: Olds 350, Th400, 12 bolt Current project: 1969 Olds 455 W-30, needing a rebuild

09-25-2004, 07:20 AM	#5
plumbcut california fill Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Sunny So-Cal Posts: 694	does canada ever warm up enough to need cooling fans? just wondering... <snicker>

09-25-2004, 04:16 PM	#7
Russell Professional Grade Join Date: May 2003 Location: Fort McMurray, Alberta Posts: 7,915	These are stock GM fans from a Trans Am with a 350 in it, so I'd figure they push fairly good air... I am gonna try installing them as pushers, and see how they do, if its a matter of them coming on for 15 seconds every 30 seconds instead of for 10 seconds every 30 seconds, I don't really care. I was reading online, and it was suggested that you loose approx 20% of your CFM rating if you flip a stock fan over and reverse the motor, I don't feel that is loosing enough cooling to be of major concern, esspecially with a big four core rad. The other thing to consider is that the stock flex fan is like a foot and a half away from the rad, while these fans will be a quarter inch away from the fan, so if it is pushing air at all, all of it will be going right through the rad, instead of sucking air from within the engine compartment, along with sucking air through the rad like the stock fan... I'll be fine over the winter (I'm sure that some days, the fans won't even come on once the whole time, the frigid air will cool the thing just fine on its own, lol) and find out next summer if I've done things the wrong way or not __________________ 1995 Chevrolet 2 Door Tahoe (6.6L LBZ Duramax / ZF6 / NP241 with 1 ton solid axle swap)

09-25-2004, 04:25 PM	#8
swervin ervin You get what you pay for Join Date: Dec 1999 Location: Cherryville, NC Posts: 4,798	Believe me when I say, a electric cooling fan very seldom comes on if you have it hooked to a thermostat. Even in the summer time here, I can drive all day and never have the fans come on. Only time they do come on is if I get caught in traffic or a light and have to sit still for a while. As for reversing the fans, I couldn't say how effective they will be. Never tried it.

09-25-2004, 05:07 PM	#9
cliffsta Stepsides RULE Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Pineville, LA Posts: 1,921	yeah its nice having the wrong radiator in ol red. Its like a 350 HD, so red runs nice a cool, even in 95+ degrees. __________________ 1981 Chevy C10 Custom Deluxe Stepside 350 V8, headers, side exhausts, 3-speed auto SOLD 1980 Chevy C10 Custum Deluxe Stepside 305 V8, Edelbrock Performer Intake, Edelbrock 1406 600CFM 4-barrel, TH350C. Bent rod. SOLD 1984 GMC Sierra Classic Longbed 6.2L Diesel SOLD 2009 Kawasaki KLX-250S too many mods for this signature 1999 Honda Accord EX 4-cylinder, 17" Motegi Wheels 215/45/17 Sumitomo tires, Tein S-Tech lowering springs, KYB GR2 shocks, Acura TL 20mm rear swaybar, debadged, blackhoused headlights, Short-Ram Intake Cardomain of the Accord

09-25-2004, 08:58 PM	#10
1972C10 Account Suspended Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Texas Posts: 2,686	I have dual electric fans on my 72 and have installed electric fans on many different vehicles Alot of your aftermarket fans are meant to have the polarity reveresed to make them push or pull simple as that. Some of them require you taking off a c clip and flipping the blade I currently have mine hooked up off IGN power if the engines on so are the fans. But i am going to soon make a thermo controlled setup As soon as time allows

09-25-2004, 09:06 PM	#11
1972C10 Account Suspended Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Texas Posts: 2,686	Ive got pics of my fans installed but attachments are a no go. and i dont have a ftp program that works anymore.

09-26-2004, 12:16 AM	#12
Russell Professional Grade Join Date: May 2003 Location: Fort McMurray, Alberta Posts: 7,915	Hmm, here is an interesting situation... I was under the understanding that these electric fans would have a universial motor in it, but if I try to reverse the polarity on the fan, the wires just get reallllly hot in a real hurry... Both fans do so. Think there is a diode in them that makes it so you can't hook the fan up backwards or something? I'm fairly sure that a non-universial motor will only run on AC... __________________ 1995 Chevrolet 2 Door Tahoe (6.6L LBZ Duramax / ZF6 / NP241 with 1 ton solid axle swap) Last edited by Russell; 09-26-2004 at 12:32 AM.

09-26-2004, 01:08 AM	#13
1972C10 Account Suspended Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Texas Posts: 2,686	I dont know I have ran stock fans but i always put them in the same configuration as they came off. Its a good possibility of having a dioide i have seen some with it but its been pretty well visable

09-26-2004, 02:05 AM	#14
Russell Professional Grade Join Date: May 2003 Location: Fort McMurray, Alberta Posts: 7,915	Well, after trying to fun the fans backwards, suddenly they wouldn't work either way, so I took them apart and found a diode in there, which had melted together on both causing a short in the setup. I also discovered something else -- The one motor wouldn't have lasted for more than a few minutes of operation before it burnt up. The seller who sold these to me must have known about the fan being about to quit, becuase it would have barely worked, there is evidence of arcing where the brushes run, and the coils are all blackened from shorting out for an instant every time the brushes hit that those coil's leads... So I guess I'm off to ebay to buy another set... __________________ 1995 Chevrolet 2 Door Tahoe (6.6L LBZ Duramax / ZF6 / NP241 with 1 ton solid axle swap)

09-26-2004, 05:04 AM	#15
Silveradoshorty Registered User Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Winterpeg Manisnowba, Canada Posts: 60	Russell, sorry to hear about the GM fans. You may be interested in the two speed fan from late 80-early 90's 3.8L Taurus. It has nine curved blades, has an integral shroud and a compact electric motor. It pulls 130 amps on startup and has a constant draw of about 40 amps on high, so you know it moves a ton of air. Read about it here, http://www.fordmuscle.com/archives/2...an/index.shtml and, http://www.jacksongalleries.com/alex/jeep/taurusfan/ I mocked one up in my big block and there is lots of room. They cost 25 bones in the scrap yards here, let me know if your interested. __________________ 1985 Silverado S/W 454 TH400, 4 wheel Disk Brakes, B&M Floor Shifter, 9" rear, lowered 4/6.



Register or Log In To remove these advertisements.

09-26-2004, 05:34 AM	#16
Russell Professional Grade Join Date: May 2003 Location: Fort McMurray, Alberta Posts: 7,915	Well, got the one motor running, discovered that it still pushes just as much air as it pulls, so thats good, but the motor is still in rough shape, it howls as it runs, the other one is so worn that it'll never run, I found out that many of GM's fans share identical fan motors, so I can probally buy new motors from Napa or something... That two speed fan sounds decent, but that amperage draw is just HUGE, the stock alternator I'll be running definitly won't be able to handle it... __________________ 1995 Chevrolet 2 Door Tahoe (6.6L LBZ Duramax / ZF6 / NP241 with 1 ton solid axle swap)

09-27-2004, 10:26 PM	#17
stan79chevy Registered User Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: COVINGTON GEORGIA Posts: 477	i have mine run off a toggle switch like everyone else said if you run them off a thermostat they rarely come on anyway. i have a big 4 core radiator and only turn mine on at traffic lights and trail rides. stan __________________ 79 chevy k20 350/350/205/D44/14bFF 4.56 gears rock LWB pimer black 01 S-10 ZR2 extended cab 4.3/4L60E/233 3.73 gear 31" DICK CEPEK CRUSHERS

Register or Log In To remove these advertisements.